Convenience Confusion at Clifford's Tower

Clifford's Tower When is a convenience not a convenience?  When there’s a chance that you might end up drinking your own waste, as visitors to Clifford’s Tower will hear every weekend this month as part of its School of Chivalry.

As part of exploring medieval life, the English Heritage team ordered some bedroom crockery that is an exact replica of a 16th century Dutch design – a bedroom urinal and a water bottle, and it was not until they arrived that the possible confusion could become clear!

“The two vessels are very similar – the same kind of pottery and style, just one has a slightly larger neck and opening,” explains event manager, Jon Hogan.  “In today’s polite society, this may be referred to as a chamber pot, but it would have been generally known as a ‘piss-pot’ in medieval times.  It is so similar to the water bottle that it would have been very easy to confuse the two, especially when groping about in the dark at night, or trying to see by dim candlelight on a winter’s night!”

 Visitors to the Tower also learn about childhood in medieval England – in particular, how noble children were taught to adapt to their future roles in life.  “Although you might expect boys from noble families to have a fairly privileged existence, they are actually likely to have been put into training to become a knight – a gruelling process which first required them to submit to the will of their mentor, and then learn that under no circumstances should they let that happen again!” explains re-enactor Shona Griffiths who plays the Lady of the Tower, Mariotta deBratt, each weekend.

The School of Chivalry presentations take place every weekend and bank holiday until the end of August 2008, from 10.00am to 12noon and 2.00pm to 4.00pm.  Clifford’s Tower is located adjacent to the Castle Museum in York.  For more details, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/cliffordstower or call 01904 646940.